Page 93 of The Darkest Note

Finn does a chin-up.

“I know you’re busy and I didn’t come here to fangirl over you.” She straightens after catching her breath. There’s a flush to her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong though. I totally would because I adore you guys. You were amazing tonight.”

“Thanks.” Zane flashes her his signature grin.

The poor kid almost faints.

I step forward. Cadence started getting in line when I threatened to show up in front of her house. Which means she’s trying to protect something close to home. Her sister.

“We got time.” I ease closer to her.

She blushes.

“Do you play piano like your sister?” Zane asks in a friendly tone.

“No, I don’t. I kept begging Cadey to teach me, but she’s always working late.” Her giggle is self-conscious. “So I kind of found my own thing.”

At the mention of Cadence working hard, I get a prick in my chest.

“Anyway,” Viola waves a hand, “I wanted to thank you for helping my sister get over her stage fright.”

“There’s still a long way to go,” I warn her. Playing the triangle in the background is a far cry from being able to play alone in front of crowds.

“Yeah, but you have to understand, Cadey wouldneverget up on stage before. She’d break out into hives, throw up and…” She shudders. “It was awful.”

“When did the stage fright start?” Zane asks.

Viola chews on her bottom lip and it reminds me of her sister. “Mom wasn’t always… in her right mind. Sometimes, she’d take Cadence to places that weren’t safe and forced her to play.”

Finn looks disturbed.

Zane curses. “What kind of mom would do that?”

“One who has a drug problem,” Viola confesses.

My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach.

“When our mom died,” Viola’s eyes get misty, “I thought that Cadey would never play again. But then she got her scholarship to Redwood and she met you guys and now she’s having fun. Mom might be gone, but it’s almost like she’s still here, watching over us.”

“Sorry about your mom,” Zane says quietly.

“She wasn’t that great of a mom to be honest,” Viola admits, her eyes on the ground. “Cadey was the one who paid the bills and took care of me. She never really got a chance to be normal.” Viola must realize she’s sharing too much personal information because she suddenly cringes. “Oh my gosh. Donottell her I told you all of that. She’d kill me.”

“Your secret’s safe with us,” Finn says sincerely. Just then, his phone chirps and he glances down. His expression shifts instantly. It’s enough to set me on edge.

“What’s up?” I ask my brother.

Finn clears his throat. “We need to go. Now.”

“Viola, it was great meeting you,” Zane says, trotting toward the truck.

“Let us know if you ever need anything,” I tell her, backing away.

She brightens. “Totally.”

I climb into the driver’s side and wait for my brother’s doors to bang shut. Starting up the engine, I glance at Finn.

He lifts his phone. “It’s Jinx. She got a location on Sol.”